E. Gordon Gee

On The Legislature Today, Republican House leadership's budget plan, according to Finance Chair Eric Nelson, aims to protect higher education from additional budget cuts after lawmakers initially announced they’d reduce funding to the system by $50 million.

West Virginia University President Gordon Gee sat down with me earlier today to discuss the potential budget implications for his university.

In the midst of struggling with proposed state budget cuts, West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee gave his State of the University address yesterday, emphasizing the university’s importance to the state as a whole as well as its dedication to free speech.

Gee used the address on Wednesday, March 22, to emphasize his stance that the university is an investment for the state, and not an item to be cut by state lawmakers.

The West Virginia University Board of Governors voted Friday afternoon to shut down Arnold Hall and Apartments, one of its older residence halls, and to add beds to University Place, a public-private apartment that the university has been struggling to fill.

This article has been updated to clarify the desription of Breitbart News Network.

West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee released a statement today that defended his decision to allow Milo Yiannopoulos to speak on campus while also condemning Yiannopoulos' attack on a faculty member.

West Virginia University is recommending a new five-year contract for President Gordon Gee.

A news release says school’s board of governors made the recommendation Thursday, May 26. The deal next goes to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, which has final approval authority.

West Virginia University President Gordon Gee kicked off a 55-county tour this week with a visit to Mingo and Logan counties. He traveled with doctors and medical students from WVU who were making rounds to a clinic in Gilbert, and then split off to visit other areas of the counties as well.

In his first year back as president of West Virginia University, Gordon Gee faced shrinking state funding and a high-profile student death on campus. He spoke recently with us about those challenges, and about his time serving on the board of directors for coal company Massey Energy.

Gee served as chairman of the Safety, Environmental and Public Policy Committee of Massey Energy's board of directors before he resigned in 2009. Less than a year later, an explosion killed 29 men at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine.

West Virginia University's purchase of the Mountain State University campus in Beckley has cast a shadow on WVU's Institute of Technology in Montgomery.

The two campuses are approximately 40 miles apart, with 1,200 students attending WVU Tech.

A 2011 state audit found major financial and enrollment problems as well as infrastructure and student life issues at WVU Tech. The latter included a lack of student access to wireless Internet on campus.

The Higher Education Policy Commission voted to approve the WVU March 3 action to amend its search process and select Gee as the permanent president.

“President Gee is a vibrant leader with unmatched credentials whose homecoming has been warmly welcomed at West Virginia University,” said Dr. Bruce Berry, chairman of the Higher Education Policy Commission.

“We look forward to working closely with President Gee and the entire campus as we strive to increase opportunities for our students and expand the positive impact of higher education on West Virginia’s communities.”

Original Post:

The state Higher Education Policy Commission is holding a special meeting to vote on Gordon Gee's appointment as West Virginia University's permanent president.

The university's Board of Governors unanimously approved Gee's appointment last week. The commission also must approve the decision.

The Senate Health and Human Resources Committee amends and passes a House bill that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks. The House Finance Committee removes an amendment to the water protection bill that would force the state Bureau for Public Health to monitor the health those affected by the January 9 spill by Freedom Industries. West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee speaks about his appointment as permanent chief of the school and his vision for its future.

E. Gordon Gee was named West Virginia University’s permanent president Monday. It's the third time he’s been asked to lead the state’s land-grant, flagship research University.

Gee, 70, first served as president from 1981-1985 – hired when he was just 36. He returned in January of this year for a term to replace the departing Jim Clements, and was asked by the WVU Board of Governors today to serve as the University’s permanent 24th president—pending a special meeting of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and its approval.

During an emergency meeting of the West Virginia University presidential search committee Friday, a motion was introduced by staff representative Dixie Martinelli, to take all necessary steps to retain the University’s current president, E. Gordon Gee, as the permanent president.

The motion, which asks the WVU Board of Governors to amend the search procedures and rescind a motion which stated the interim president would not be a candidate for the permanent post, was endorsed by the 20-person committee.

The aftermath of last week's chemical spill continues. On this West Virginia Morning, we learn why the Department of Environmental Protection wasn't inspecting the storage tank. Also, an interview with WVU interim president E. Gordon Gee.